About 54% of U.S. adults are currently trying to reduce their weight, and a large percentage are also trying to build muscle and develop a healthy lifestyle. If you're trying to build muscle but have found it challenging to find the right exercises and workouts, you're certainly not alone. Here are just a few reasons you may not be building muscle -- as well as what you can do about it.

BLOG FITNESS, CADIO, STRENGTH

November 14, 2013

Top Fitness Trends in 2014

The American College of Sports Medicine just released the top to fitness trends of 2014. More than 3,800 fitness professionals completed a survey regarding what is hot right now in the world of exercise and fitness. Let’s chat about how each of these top trends my benefit you and your progress towards your goals:

1. High-Intensity Interval Training: HIIT

Oh yes, interval training! This is the style of exercise that consists of repeated bouts of high intensity efforts followed by short rest periods. The goal of this type of exercise is to hammer out as much work as possible in a short amount of time, typically 30 minutes or rest. If you feel like your exercise routine is getting boring and you need to spice it up, give HITT training a try. It is a great way to challenge your muscles (and your resolve) and burn a lot of calories. This method of exercise is a lot more fatiguing and will surely challenge you.

2. Body Weight Training:

Your body is your machine. You can work every muscle group in your body without using a single implement. Squats, lunges, pushups, and pull ups are all body weight exercises. Because you have a body, you can do a workout anywhere. Performing body weight exercises will help to challenge your muscles and will also teach you coordination and control.

3. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals

When you need help, get help. And when you get help, get intelligent and experienced help. If you had to get brain surgery, would you rather go to an experienced and learned doctor or to one who just likes to study brains as a hobby? Your body is a complex machine. If you do not have much experience then hire a professional to help teach you how your body works and how to best challenge it.

4. Strength Training:

Do this often. Cardio is important, but strength training will give you the toned muscles you want!

5. Exercise and Weight Loss:

In the land of weight loss nutrition is king. But, exercise is queen. Exercise is a very important part of any weight loss program. If you try to lose weight only through diet, you are missing out on many other positive physiological changes that exercise can instill.

6. Personal Training:

Personal trainers keep you accountable, push you harder than you would push yourself, and educate you. If you don’t need accountability, motivation, or knowledge, then feel free to workout by yourself. If you feel you could use one of the three benefits listed above, try working with a reputable trainer for a few sessions. You will see what a positive and beneficial service they provide.

7. Fitness Programs for Older Adults:

Age is a just a number. That being said, the body does change as we age. Exercise helps to keep our body’s biological age lower than our chronological age. Exercise can help to reduce and even reverse some of the physiological processes that come with “normal” aging.

8. Functional Fitness:

The key here is to train movements and not muscles. Muscles are great, but if you are not looking to be a body builder functional training is very effective. Functional training includes multi-joint movements and incorporates a lot of muscles being used at once. This helps to burn more calories and also practice coordination.

9. Group Based Personal Training:

We addressed the benefits of personal training, above. When done in a group you get two more benefits: cost savings and group support. This will expand your support group to include those who you train with. Also, it never hurts to save a few bucks.

10. Yoga:

Yoga, and especially hot yoga, has been very popular in the past few years. There is a large variation in regards to the intensity and challenges in yoga. Some styles are more meditative while others are downright crushing. Either way, you will surely challenge your flexibility and strength. If you are interested in adding yoga into your routine, let it take the place of one of your strength workouts. It is not a good replacement for cardio but can help you build strength.

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